Among those he met was businesswoman Kathy Thorne, who runs the Time For Fun party shop on Filton Rd, Horfield.

Kathy has just been forced to give up her premises as a result of what she believes are excessive demands for rent by her landlord.

Her circumstances may be unsual, but her experience of going bust is sadly typical of many shops around the city.

Vince told Jones The News: “There is an artificial boom mentality in London, created by the stock exchange and luxury property prices, but it is very artificial.

But out in the country it is very different, people are very sober. There is a problem, though some people think there isn’t.”

He also hit out at the Labour government’s policies towards the banks.

He said: “Having taken the banks over, he has just let the banks go back to business as usual. Gordon Brown is intimidated by the bankers.

“For ten years, Brown has curtsied to the city of London and isn’t able or willing to exert any kind of control, and that is a big weakness.”

But he refused to be drawn on the possibility of serving as chancellor in a hung parliament. Many commentators believe a hung parliament is becoming more likely, as the Tories lead over Labour shrinks.

One frequently-discussed scenario is that Cable would become Chancellor if the Liberals formed a coalition either with Labour or the Conservatives.

But he swept the idea away, saying: “It’s not a personal thing. I am part of a team and that team is doing very well. Bristol is a good example of the way the Liberal Democrats have come from a long way behind to become the dominant political force in the city.

“There is no question of me going off to do anything on my own. what we are concerned about is not jobs for me or anyone else. We are more concerned with getting our policies across.

“It is my ambition to be chancellor in a Lib Dem administration, that is what we are aiming for.”

We do need to be supporting local shops and businesses as we move to being a more sustainable city. By “sustainable” I mean both environmentally and economically.

Bristolwestpaul mentions our “mansion tax” and our determination to deliver fairer income tax. That means lower income tax for the poorer in our city, but higher taxes for those who, as Vince puts it, “have broader shoulders”.

Lib Dems are fundamentally in favour of fairer taxes and if we can elect additional Lib Dem MPs in 2010, such as Paul Harrod in Bristol North West then we can see the prospect of a fairer society for all.

So many people are fed up with the tired old “Labour’s turn”, “Tories’ turn”, “Labour’s turn”, “Tories’ turn” which we have had running our country for the last century.

so why is your party opposed to the 50% tax on people earning over £150k? Is it because your have a lot of wealthy voters in your rural seats, the same reason why you increased threshold for mansion tax from £1m to £2m. A property tax for high value domestic properties is not a bad idea but it covers less than 10% of the costs of the tac reduction that you claim and therefore the package is fundamentally dishonest.

Indeed your party is planning to abolish domestic property taxes too, it just doesn’t hang together as a coherent tax policy – just a good soundbite.

Jones The News

This is a blog by Martin Jones, a broadcast journalist from the south west of England. I currently work for the BBC in the west of England. I have previously worked in commercial radio. The BBC does not have opinions, so I couldn't express them even if I wanted to. Which I don't.